Andrew Williams (New Zealand)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Williams is a New Zealand
politician
. In 2007 he was elected as Mayor of North Shore City, New Zealand's fourth largest city. Williams served on a community board during 2004-07, and was a councillor in the term before that in 2001-04. North Shore City Council was abolished in October 2010, becoming part of the Auckland "Super City". He was elected to Parliament on 25 November 2011 as a list MP for the New Zealand First Party.
's mayor John Banks
reportedly turned very sour, with Banks calling Williams 'a lunatic' in a text message Banks accidentally sent to Williams himself, after Williams had accused Rodney Hide
of misleading the Prime Minister on the amount of consultation with local authorities on the Super City proposal.
Williams instead called for retention of the local Councils as they existed as of 2009, with a stronger Auckland Regional Council
that could be made more accountable by being made up of local authority councillors instead of being elected separately and being forced to 'work in a silo', 'with insufficient funding'.
In July 2010, he announced that he would stand in the 2010 mayoral election for the new 'Supercity' and for the Albany ward on the new council. He was elected to neither, and retired as the final Mayor of North Shore City after one last special Council Meeting on the last day of the City's legal existence.
He represented New Zealand First
in the North Shore
in the 2011 general election
. Although New Zealand First won no electorate seats, Williams became a Member of Parliament by virtue of being third on the party's electoral "list" when its 6.8% nationwide vote entitled it to eight seats in Parliament.
Andrew Williams has been involved in a number of incidents where his temper apparently flared up - such as during a meeting of a committee of the North Shore City Council, where he was asked to leave the meeting after referring to a councillor, Chris Darby, as a "smart-arse".
Local newspapers were critical of the Mayor's first year in office, with one paper asking the question "Is the mayor mad?" and noting that his behaviour has been described as "overbearing, controlling, heavy-handed". Williams defended himself as not having "a lot of patience for fence-sitters and procrastinators".
Williams has also been accused of making a number of "obnoxious and aggressive" late night text and email messages to other politicians, including current NZ Prime Minister John Key
, and of leaving "abusive rants" on the answering machine of previous mayor George Wood
. He has later defended himself saying that overwork as well as prescription drug-taking and sleeplessness after an accident some weeks beforehand were partly to blame.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. In 2007 he was elected as Mayor of North Shore City, New Zealand's fourth largest city. Williams served on a community board during 2004-07, and was a councillor in the term before that in 2001-04. North Shore City Council was abolished in October 2010, becoming part of the Auckland "Super City". He was elected to Parliament on 25 November 2011 as a list MP for the New Zealand First Party.
Politics
Williams was an outspoken critic of the 'Super City' amalgamation process for Auckland instigated by the National-led government in its first (2008-10), considering it unnecessary and undemocratic. He called the political moves towards forced unification a railroaded process, and a power grab. Personal relations with Auckland CityAuckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
's mayor John Banks
John Banks (New Zealand)
John Archibald Banks, CNZM QSO is a New Zealand politician. He served as Mayor of Auckland City for two terms, from 2001 to 2004, and from 2007 to 2010...
reportedly turned very sour, with Banks calling Williams 'a lunatic' in a text message Banks accidentally sent to Williams himself, after Williams had accused Rodney Hide
Rodney Hide
Rodney Hide is a New Zealand politician who was leader of the political party ACT New Zealand from 2004 to 2011. From 2005 to 2011 he represented the electorate of Epsom as its Member of Parliament. Rodney Hide was Minister of Local Government, Associate Minister of Commerce and Minister of...
of misleading the Prime Minister on the amount of consultation with local authorities on the Super City proposal.
Williams instead called for retention of the local Councils as they existed as of 2009, with a stronger Auckland Regional Council
Auckland Regional Council
The Auckland Regional Council was the regional council of the Auckland Region. Its predecessor the Auckland Regional Authority was formed in 1963 and became the ARC in 1989...
that could be made more accountable by being made up of local authority councillors instead of being elected separately and being forced to 'work in a silo', 'with insufficient funding'.
In July 2010, he announced that he would stand in the 2010 mayoral election for the new 'Supercity' and for the Albany ward on the new council. He was elected to neither, and retired as the final Mayor of North Shore City after one last special Council Meeting on the last day of the City's legal existence.
He represented New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
in the North Shore
North Shore (New Zealand electorate)
North Shore is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for North Shore is Wayne Mapp MP of the National Party...
in the 2011 general election
New Zealand general election, 2011
The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party...
. Although New Zealand First won no electorate seats, Williams became a Member of Parliament by virtue of being third on the party's electoral "list" when its 6.8% nationwide vote entitled it to eight seats in Parliament.
Controversies
On 15 August 2008, Williams collapsed while attending a Devonport naval base function. While being treated by ambulance workers, Williams is said to have "lashed out" at those helping him. The ambulance staff filed an incident report, but did not recommend further action to be taken. Williams' wife Jane claims her husband was suffering from "Chinese lurgy" after an exhausting 10-day trip to Korea and China. She described the incident as an unconscious reaction of Williams as the medics treated him, and expressed regret that the media had been told of it even though it should have been covered by patient confidentiality.Andrew Williams has been involved in a number of incidents where his temper apparently flared up - such as during a meeting of a committee of the North Shore City Council, where he was asked to leave the meeting after referring to a councillor, Chris Darby, as a "smart-arse".
Local newspapers were critical of the Mayor's first year in office, with one paper asking the question "Is the mayor mad?" and noting that his behaviour has been described as "overbearing, controlling, heavy-handed". Williams defended himself as not having "a lot of patience for fence-sitters and procrastinators".
Williams has also been accused of making a number of "obnoxious and aggressive" late night text and email messages to other politicians, including current NZ Prime Minister John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
, and of leaving "abusive rants" on the answering machine of previous mayor George Wood
George Wood (New Zealand)
George Sydney Wood, CNZM, is a former Mayor of North Shore City, New Zealand’s fourth largest city. He was the first North Shore Mayor to be elected for a third term since the city was formed in 1989...
. He has later defended himself saying that overwork as well as prescription drug-taking and sleeplessness after an accident some weeks beforehand were partly to blame.
External links
- http://www.andrewwilliams.co.nz Williams' personal website.
- http://www.northshorecity.govt.nz/YourCouncil/AboutTheCouncil/HisWorshipTheMayor/Pages/default.aspx Williams' profile on the Council Website.